Inoculant injector instrument



June 1964 F. A. ZIHERL ETAL INOCULANT INJECTOR INSTRUMENT 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 12, 1961 INVENTORS. FRANK A. ZIHERL BY ARTHUR s. KISH .mm mm mm mm mm mm vm mm ATTORNEYS June 1964 F. A. ZIHERL ETAL 3,138,157

INOCULANT INJECTOR INSTRUMENT Filed May 12, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS FRANK A. ZIHERL BY ARTHUR s. KISH JMW {c m/1M,

ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,138,157 INOQULANT INJECTQR INSTRUMENT Frank A. Ziherl, Gates Milis, and Arthur S. Kish, Lyndhurst, Ghio, assignors to Z & W Manufacturing Corp, Wicldiffe, Ohio, in corporation of Ohio Filed May 12, 1961, Ser. No. 109,544 9 Claims. (Cl. 128-473) This invention relates generally to inoculant injector instruments, but has reference more particularly to improvements in instruments of the type disclosed in Ziherl et al. Patent No. 2,821,981.

In Ziherl et al. Patent No. 2,821,981, there is disclosed a multi-shot inoculant injector instrument with adjustable ejection pressure control, in which a plunger is utilized which is provided at its forward end with a cap which is projectible into an ampule to displace liquid medicament or inoculant therefrom.

In one form of the aforesaid instrument, a removable syringe is employed, and the plunger is removably attached to the syringe body, the cap being removably attached to the plunger, so that when the inoculant in the syringe is to be replenished, the syringe is removed from the instrument, the plunger is disconnected from the syringe and replaced by a hypodermic needle, the syringe being then replenished from a vial, the needle then being replaced by the plunger, and the assembly reinserted in the instrument.

It has been found that in removing the aforesaid assembly from the instrument, the plunger and cap come into contact with the interior wall of the body and other internal parts of the mechanism, and become contaminated, so that frequent sterilization of the cap and plunger is required, such sterilization being sometimes difficult due to the numerous and relatively small passageways and bores in the parts.

Moreover, when the ampule in the aforesaid instrument is to be removed, for any reason, it must be pulled out of the ampule cap or container, so that it, as well as the ampule cap or container, comes into contact with surfaces which can cause contamination, requiring frequent sterilization of these parts.

A further disadvantage of the aforesaid assembly is the fact that the plunger and plunger cap are threadedly secured together, and the ampule container is made of multiple parts which are threadedly secured together, so that considerable time is required for assembly and disassembly.

The present invention has, as its primary object, the provision of an instrument of the character described, in which the foregoing disadvantages are, to a large extent, obviated.

Another object of the invention is to provide, in an instrument of the character described, means for enabling the plunger and its associated adapter to be quickly and easily removed from the body of the instrument with minimum danger of contamination, easily sterilized, if contaminated, and as easily and quickly replaced in the instrument, after sterilization.

Another object of the invention is to provide a medicament container of simple construction having a plunger cap which is a unitary part of the container and which can be removed from the instrument quickly and easily,

and reattached without danger of contaminating the plunger cap.

A further object of the invention is to provide an instrument of the character described, in which assembly and disassembly of certain of the parts is greatly facilitated by reason of the employment of male and female connections between the parts.

A still further object of the invention is to provide, in an instrument of the character described, clearance areas or spaces between certain of the parts, which permits ready interchangeability of component parts of the instrument, even where there is substantial variation in the dimensions of the parts.

Other objects and advantages of our invention will be apparent during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same,

FIG. I is a cross-sectional view of an inoculant injector instrument embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of a portion of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view, on an enlarged scale, of the adapter assembly;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view, on an enlarged scale, of the cap, and

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view, taken on the line 5-5 of FIG. 2.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, there is disclosed an inoculant injector instrument 10 which is generally similar to that shown in Ziherl et al. Patent No. 2,821,981, comprising a body or housing 11, a hollow piston 14, a compression coil spring 15 bearing against the piston 14, a sleeve 29, which is threaded to the rear end of the body 11, a sleeve 32 which is threadedly secured to the sleeve 29 and has an adjusting knob 33 fixedly secured to its outer end, as by pins 34, and means generally similar to the parts 54 to 78 inclusive in FIGS. 1 to 4 of the aforesaid Ziherl patent for compressing and releasing the compression coil spring 15. Since all of these parts and their functions have been described in detail in the aforesaid patent, it will be unnecessary, in this application, to repeat such description.

The present invention is concerned more particularly with the plunger assembly and related parts, and these will now be described in detail.

in the present construction, a cylindrical syringe body 80 is provided which extends axially through the sleeve 32 and has a slidable syringe piston assembly 81 which terminates exteriorly of the body 80 in a knob 82. The syringe is externally threaded, as at 85, for securement to the piston 14.

A plunger 38 is threadedly secured to the forward end of the syringe body 80 internally thereof, as at 84.

The plunger 38' extends through the piston 14, and has threadedly secured to its forward end, as at 86, an adapter assembly comprising a part 87 and a part 87' which is brazed to the part 87. The part 87 has an axial bore 88, which is counterbored, as at 89, for a purpose to be presently described. The bore 88 serves as a passageway for conducting inoculant fluid from the bore 39 in the plunger 38 to the bore 88, a ball check valve 43 being provided between the plunger and the adapter for permitting unidirectional fluid flow from the bore 39 to the bore 88. The ball check valve 43 is retained in the plunger 38 by an apertured ball stop 43, which is disposed in the counterbore 89. The part 8'7 of the adapter assembly has a bore 88 of the same diameter as the bore 83.

The adapter, as thus described, is slidable in a bore 90 of an inoculant or medicament holder or container 91, which is threadedly secured, as at 92, to the body 11 of the instrument. The holder 91 has permanently secured to its forward end a cap 93, which has a central conical portion 94, which is centrally apertured, as at 95, to permit passage of the inoculant from the interior of the holder 91 to the skin of the patient. The cap 93 also serves as a resilient spacer or surface contact member, and is provided with a roughened or uneven surface 96 so as to prevent any untoward slippage of the cap and instrument over the skin of the patient.

The bore 90 of the holder 91 is counterbored, as at 97, for slidably receiving a plunger cap 98, which is limited, in its rearward movement by an annular shoulder 99 provided at the juncture of the bore 90 vtu'th the counterbore 97.

The plunger cap 98 has a nose 99 of conical form for registry with the conical portion 94 of the cap 93, so as to seal the aperture or orifice 95 when the cap is in fully advanced position.

The cap 98 is provided with an axial extension 100 having a portion 101 of enlarged external diameter which is slidably received in the bores 88 and 88 of the adapter a seal ring 102 being provided for providing a fluid-tight seal between the bore 88 and the part 101. The cap 98 is also provided with an axial bore 103 which receives fluid from the bore 88 and carries the fluid to the counterbore 97 through passageways 104 in the cap 98. Passage of fluid between the cap 98 and the wall of the counterbore 97 is inhibited by a seal ring 105.

The adapter is also provided with an annular recess 106 in the wall of the bore 88, in which a snap-ring 107 is disposed, this ring adapted to bear against a shoulder 108 at the junction between the parts 100 and 101, for a purpose to be presently described.

It may be noted that the rear entrance to the bore 88 of the adapter is rounded, as at 109. This facilitates entrance of the extension 101 into the bore 88, when these parts are assembled or reassembled.

The construction, as thus described, permits the syringe and plunger assembly, comprising the parts 80, 38 and the adapter, to be quickly and easily removed, when the syringe is to be refilled from a vial, and during such removal, the interior surfaces of the adapter are protected against contamination, since they face inwardly and do not come into contact with surfaces of the piston 14 or other surfaces of the instrument which are likely to cause contamination. If sterilization of these parts becomes necessary, they can be easily sterilized, the sterilizing agent easily entering the bores 88 and 88 of the adapter.

In thus removing the syringe assembly, the plunger cap 98 cannot be withdrawn, since it is prevented from doing so by reason of the engagement of the cap with the shoulder 99 of the holder 91, while at the same time, the adapter easily slips over the extension 101 of the plunger cap. In reassembling the syringe assembly with the instrument, following sterilization, the extension 101 will readily enter the bores 88 and 88' of the adapter, so that such reassembly is greatly facilitated.

Due to the slip connection between the plunger cap and the adapter, the holder 91, with the plunger cap, can be quickly and easily removed as a unit, for replacement purposes, without involving any operation other than that of unscrewing the holder from the body of the instrument. In the same way, when a replacement holder is attached, the plunger cap and adapter are automatically reconnected. It may be noted, at this point, that in the course of such removal, the extensions 100 and 101 of the plunger cap are drawn out of the adapter without dragging them against the interior side walls of parts of the instrument,

thereby avoiding contamination of the plunger cap, If contaminated, they can be easily sterilized.

Due to this ready removability and reassembly, the danger of contamination of parts, following sterilization, is greatly reduced, and the time involved in such removal and assembly is also reduced to a minimum.

Due to the provision of a clearance area or space 110 between the face 111 of the plunger cap and the end face 112 of the adapter, and the provision of a similar clearance area or space 113 between the end 114 of the extension 101 and the stop 43', ready interchangeability of component parts of the instrument is permitted, even where there is substantial variation in the dimensions of the parts. This permits certain of the parts to be made without close tolerances.

When the plunger assembly is retracted, for the purpose of filling the container 91, the snap ring 107, bearing against the shoulder 108, causes the cap 98 to be pulled back to its initial position against the shoulder 99, but when the plunger assembly is to be removed from the instrument, the spring 107 can spread sutliciently to ride over the extension 101.

It is to be understood that the form of our invention herewith shown and described, is to be taken as a preferred example of the same, and that various changes may be made in the shape, size and arrangement of parts thereof, without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

Having thus described our invention, we claim:

1. In an instrument of the character described, an instrument body having an axial bore, a hollow piston slidable in said bore, a fluid container removably secured in said bore adjacent the forward end of said bore, a plunger cap slidable in said container, means on said container for limiting retracting movement of said cap in said container, and a plunger assembly slidably removable rearwardly through said piston, said assembly comprising a plunger and an adapter removably secured to the forward end of said plunger, said adapter having an axial bore, said plunger cap having an axial extension slidably received in the axial bore of said adapter.

2. An instrument, as defined in claim 1, including means on said adapter for retracting said plunger cap into abutment with said limiting means.

3. An instrument, as defined in claim 2, in which said plunger cap is provided with an axial bore communicating with the axial bore of said adapter, and with restricted passageways communicating the axial bore in the plunger cap with the space Within said container.

4. An instrument, as defined in claim 3, in which a space is provided between said plunger cap and the forward end of said adapter, and a space is provided between the rear end of said axial extension and said plunger, said spaces permitting take-up due to variations in dimensions between said plunger cap and adapter.

5. In an instrument of the character described, an instrument body having an axial bore, a hollow piston slidable in said bore, a plunger assembly slidably removable rearwardly through said piston, said plunger assembly comprising a plunger and an adapter removably secured to the forward end of said plunger, said adapter having an axial bore, a plunger cap disposed forwardly of said adapter and having an axial extension slidably received in the axial bore of said adapter, said plunger assembly being removable from said extension by an endwise sliding movement, and means for preventing removal of said plunger cap during removal of said plunger assembly.

6. In an instrument of the character described, an instrument body having an axial bore, a hollow piston slidable in said bore, a fluid container removably secured in said bore adjacent the forward end of said bore, a plunger cap slidable axially in said container but not removable from the container in a rearward direction, a plunger assembly disposed within said piston rearwardly of said plunger cap and slidably removable rearwardly from said piston, said assembly having an axial bore in its forward end, and said plunger cap having an axial extension of reduced diameter which is slidably received in the axial bore of said plunger assembly.

7. An instrument, as defined in claim 6, in which said plunger assembly comprises a plunger and an adapter removably secured to the forward end of said plunger, the axial bore of the plunger assembly being disposed in said adapter.

8. An instrument,as defined in claim 7, in which said adapter consists of two parts, and a seal ring is interposed between said parts, said plunger cap extension passing through said seal ring.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,635,601 May Apr. 21, 1953 10 2,821,193 Ziherl et al. Jan. 28, 1958 2,821,981 Ziherl et al. Feb. 4, 1958 

1. IN AN INSTRUMENT OF THE CHARACTER DESCRIBED, AN INSTRUMENT BODY HAVING AN AXIAL BORE, A HOLLOW PISTON SLIDABLE IN SAID BORE, A FLUID CONTAINER REMOVABLY SECURED IN SAID BORE ADJACENT THE FORWARD END OF SAID BORE, A PLUNGER CAP SLIDABLE IN SAID CONTAINER, MEANS ON SAID CONTAINER FOR LIMITING RETRACTING MOVEMENT OF SAID CAP IN SAID CONTAINER, AND A PLUNGER ASSEMBLY SLIDABLY REMOVABLE REARWARDLY THROUGH SAID PISTON, SAID ASSEMBLY COMPRISING A PLUNGER AND AN ADAPTER REMOVABLY SECURED TO THE FORWARD END OF SAID PLUNGER, SAID ADAPTER HAVING AN AXIAL BORE, SAID PLUNGER CAP HAVING AN AXIAL EXTENSION SLIDABLY RECEIVED IN THE AXIAL BORE OF SAID ADAPTER. 